


A Strange New Disciple

by kaluu



Category: Doctor Strange (Comics), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Master of the Mystic Arts, Sorcerer Supreme
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-23 19:13:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/930077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaluu/pseuds/kaluu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme and Master of the Mystic Arts, recruits an unlikely disciple: Loki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It started out simply enough. Loki was sitting in his favorite diner when one of the waitresses brought him a strawberry Oreo milkshake. He had tried other milkshakes before but not this particular combination. It wasn't on the menu. One sip and he was convinced this was the best milkshake ever.

"Excuse me, my good waitress. To whom or what do I owe this marvelous drink?" Loki said with a flourish.

"The man drinking tea over there. He told me to give you this note." She leaned closer and whispered, "A well-groomed man with that kind of facial hair sending milkshakes to young men? Personally, I wouldn't trust him."

This was something out of the ordinary, and anything strange was a welcomed change. He eagerly unfolded the note, which read: "Join me, Loki." 

The stranger was dressed in typical New York autumn street clothes: black turtleneck and brown pants and trenchcoat. Loki couldn't pierce the illusion, but he knew what the man was really wearing: red Cloak of Levitation with gold accents, blue tunic, and black tights. However, even without his familiar mystic attire, young Loki recognized Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. Anyone who was anyone in the mystic circles knew Doctor Strange.

His incantation had been simple and straight-forward, magic that even Loki could accomplish, and who was he to deny the summons of such a powerful mage? He picked up his milkshake and joined Strange.

"Hello, Loki," Dr. Strange said with deference. "Thank you for joining me."

"You're not one for idle socializing. Why don't we just get down to business. Why did you seek me out?"

"I want you to be my disciple," Dr. Strange said. Loki's jaw dropped open, and his straw slipped out of his mouth.

"You want me, a god, to become a mortal's disciple? You're joking."

"Actually, no, I'm not joking." Dr. Strange locked gazes with Loki. "You have a natural affinity for magic—"

"Gee, I wonder why," Loki said dryly. After all, he used to be a powerful sorcerer until his older self robbed him of his powers.

"Your natural affinity for magic makes you an ideal candidate."

"You assume your magic is superior to a god's? I've lost my magic but not my mind. I have not seen such hubris since… since I was last in Asgard, I suppose." Suddenly, Loki thought about all the people in Asgard who abused him. They never left enough of a mark to draw the fury of the God of Thunder but that didn't mean the punches didn't hurt. And then there were the times when Thor was busy elsewhere. It would be nice to be able to defend himself.

"As a god, the source of your powers was your divinity. The source of my magic is knowledge," Dr. Strange said, proving he was indeed a Master of the Mystic Arts. "I know how to manipulate the eldritch forces and entreat gods and entities from beyond this astral plane. Such methods should not be dismissed as weak mortal magicks. Keep in mind Thor came to me to repair Mjolnir." 

"And you succeeded," Loki acknowledged. "Why even make such an offer to an untrustworthy trickster?"

"I see a spark of goodness and might be able to fan it into a flame. More power will enable you to do even greater deeds to aid the worlds." Dr. Strange's kind smile was reflected in his soft gray eyes. Loki suspected he knew about his most recent adventures.

"One last question: Is sodomy a prerequisite?" Loki smiled mischievously.

"No." Loki was disappointed that he didn't get more of a reaction out of Dr. Strange, a funny face or a rolling of the eyes.

"All right," Loki said. "I'll be the unlikely disciple of Dr. Strange, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. Starting after breakfast."


	2. Chapter 2

Loki cracked his eye open just a little bit to take a peek at Dr. Strange.

"Loki, you're supposed to be meditating," Dr. Strange reprimanded without even opening his eyes.

"How would you know I'm not meditating unless you weren't meditating too?" Loki challenged.

"I know because you interrupted my meditations. Now please close your eyes and clear your mind." Dr. Strange's voice was soft and even, nothing like the thunder that crackled when he commanded unseen powers. "Clear your mind," he repeated.

"I can't," Loki said and pouted. "All I can think about is how cool it is to be in the Sanctum Sanctorum and all the interesting things just waiting to be discovered."

"Do not go exploring," Dr. Strange said sternly.

"I know."

"I see our meditation session is done for the moment." Dr. Strange sighed and opened his eyes. 

"My mind is always racing. Shouldn't I be concentrating instead of clearing my mind?" Loki asked.

"Not in this case. You clear your mind and then you concentrate." Part of the problem really was the fact that Loki was familiar with a very different kind of magic. "Let me try to illustrate the reasoning behind this in another way. I'll pretend to be the otherworldly entity, and you are the sorcerer entreating me." Dr. Strange snuffed out the candle between them. "Go ahead. Cast a light spell."

"I call upon the great entity Dr. Stra—"

"Just ask for light." Loki giggled.

"Light!" A string of Christmas LED lights appeared along the wall. "Cool!"

"But not what you expected?" Dr. Strange assumed. The colorful LEDs somehow played across Dr. Strange's sharp features and succeeded in making him look rather grim.

"Well, no. I thought you were going to light the candle." Loki closed his eyes. "I'll try again. Light!" But even as he cast his spell, he couldn't help but to wonder what would show up next. Dr. Strange held up a bottle of Bud Light. "I was thinking of regular light this time," Loki protested. "I cleared my mind and everything."

"No, you didn't." Dr. Strange gestured at a neon sign spelling Loki, stoplight, light blue dress, and flashlight. "Those were the first five objects that came to your mind."

"You can read the minds of gods?" Loki asked. Dr. Strange gestured at the third eye on his forehead.

"I called it forth when you closed your eyes. Nothing can hide from the Eye of Agamotto." At a silent command, the Eye returned to the amulet at Dr. Strange's neck.

"Do I get one?"

"Only if you're good."

"Really?!" Loki perked up.

"Actually, yes, I'm quite serious." Dr. Strange summoned a neatly folded blue cloak and a square amulet. "This was my first amulet, and within it is a weaker but still very potent Eye of Agamotto. It will be your first talisman."

"And that's an earlier model of your Cloak of Levitation?" Loki asked.

"Yes. Although less effective in chaotic dimensions, it is useful in worlds with less variable gravity. I was going to gift them to you when you became more experienced as a sorcerer." Dr. Strange smiled ruefully. "Of course, you have a different fashion sense. You should at least wear the Amulet of Agamotto, but you can either hide the cloak under a simple illusion spell or pass on it entirely.

"Cool! In that case, let's get back to studying!" Loki could already imagine himself wearing the square amulet. The sight of All-Seeing Agamotto was said to be more powerful than Heimdall's. 

"Meditating, not studying," Strange corrected him and assumed the lotus position again. "Now stop thinking about the reward and clear your mind.

Loki allowed himself one more lingering thought of the Amulet of Agamotto and then assumed the lotus position and finally began to meditate.


	3. Chapter 3

The door to Dr. Strange's study opened by itself before Loki knocked. Dr. Strange was levitating in the middle of the room with a mystic swirl of open books floating around him, which meant he was doing serious research and reading primary sources as he came across footnotes.

"I'll come back later," Loki offered and hid the book in his hands behind his back.

"No, I've reached an impasse. It's probably best if I take my mind off my studies for a while." The books closed themselves, and each joined one of the stacks of books around Dr. Strange. "How are your studies going, Loki? Do you need help with that text?"

"Kind of." Loki closed the distance between them, hopped into the air and crossed his legs to sit before his teacher. "I'm not familiar with this sorceress so I'm not sure how much of this book is to be believed." Dr. Strange gestured, and the book floated to his hand. 

"Dr. Strange: The Man—the Myth—the Magic, by Best-Selling Author Morgana Blessing," he read aloud in a strained tone. "Is there anything you want to ask me in specific?"

"I looked her up. She's a fiction writer. I don't remember you dying, but it says even Thor attended your funeral, and I found the broadcast of your funeral next to the book in the library." Loki wasn't quite sure what kind of response to expect so he sat quietly and watched his master.

"Most of the facts are true; the opinions are her own," Dr. Strange said.

"You told Morgana so much. It's not like you."

"I was tricked by Mephisto," Dr. Strange admitted. "In the end, I decided she had shared information that mortal men were better off not knowing and revealed too many of my strategies. I completely erased her memories of me and retroactively erased the existence of the book and my death."

"You are…ridiculously powerful," Loki said in awe as well as fear.

"No, the Eternal Vishanti are powerful," Dr. Strange sternly corrected him. "You are no longer using godly powers so you must never forget to acknowledge the power of the cosmic entities you entreat or you risk losing their support."


End file.
